Lincoln University of Missouri
Student Government Association
____________________________________
th
80 General Assembly
RULES OF THE SENATE
Revised by
80h General Assembly Senate President
2014-2015
TIME OF MEETING
Rule 1. The time of meeting by the Senate, unless otherwise ordered, shall be 11:00 a.m.,
Thursday in the Ballroom of Scruggs University Center
CONSTITUTIONAL MAJORITY DEFINED
Rule 2. The term “constitutional majority”, as used herein, shall mean a quorum of
members of the Senate
ORDER OF BUSINESS
Rule 3. The first of each day, after the Senate is called to order, shall be employed as
follows unless otherwise ordered by the Senate:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
Call to order
Pledge of Allegiance
University Oath
Roll Call
Adoption of the Agenda
Reading of Previous minutes
Vice President Comments
Financial Report
Student Body President Comments
Advisor Comments
Committee Reports
Old Business
New Business
Presentation of Guests
Announcements
Adjournment
FIRST AND SECOND READING OF BILLS
Rule 4. A bill shall be read the first time by journal entry of the title of the bill on the
legislative day of its filing by its sponsor. It shall be read a second time on the following
legislative day by its Committee Chair. The reading of a bill by its title shall be deemed
sufficient reading unless the further reading be called for. If the further reading be called
for and no objection made, the bill shall be read at length; if, however, objection be made,
the question shall be determined by the majority of the members present.
ELECTION OF INFERIOR OFFICERS GENERALLY
Election; Oath; Compensation
Rule 6. The Senate shall elect by recorded vote the following officers at the
commencement of the first regular session of each general assembly: its Sergeant-atArms, and Chaplain, who shall hold office during all sessions until the convening of the
succeeding General Assembly, unless sooner removed by a vote of the majority of the
members. Each shall receive such compensation as may be provided for by law. Each
shall take an oath to “support the Constitution of the Student Government Association
and of this State and to faithfully demean himself or herself in office and to keep the
secrets of the Senate.” Said oath shall be administered to the President Pro- Tem by a
Justice of the Supreme Court, and by the Speaker to the other officers. All other officers
of the Senate shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of the President and receive
such compensation as provided by law.
PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT TO CALL MEMBERS TO ORDER
Rule 7. The President shall take the chair at the hour to which the Senate has been
assembled and immediately call the members to order, and on the appearance of a
quorum, shall cause the journal of the preceding day to be read (unless otherwise ordered
by the Senate), which may then be corrected by the House.
PARLIAMENTARY RULINGS;
REFERRAL TO PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE
Rule 8. Parliamentary rulings may be made only by the President or the President ProTem. No member who is temporarily in the Chair may rule on points of order. It shall be
at the President’s discretion whether members may speak on points of order.
PRESIDENT MAY SPEAK ON POINTS OF ORDER
Rule 9. The President may speak on points of order in preference to any other member,
arising from his/her seat for that purpose, and shall decide questions of order, subject to
an appeal to the Senate, upon which appeal no member shall speak more than once,
except by leave of the Senate. No member shall inquire of another member or debate with
other members on points of order but shall address his/her remarks only to the chair.
APPEAL FROM A RULING OF THE CHAIR
Rule 10. Should there be an appeal from any ruling of the chair, the question, “Shall the
chair be sustained?” shall be immediately put and determined before the Senate proceeds
to other business.
PRESIDENT HAS GENERAL SUPERVISION OF CHAMBER
Rule 11. The President shall have general direction and supervision of the Senate and
shall preserve decorum and order in the Chamber and/or Hallway.
PRESIDENT MAY SUBSTITUTE MEMBER TO PERFORM DUTIES
Rule 12. The President may substitute any member to perform the duties of the Chair in
the absence of the President Pro- Tem or absence of President Assistant Pro-Temp
PRESIDENT SHALL SIGN ALL BILLS
Rule 13. The President shall sign all bills, and perform all duties in relation thereto, as
required by the Constitution. He/she shall also sign all joint relations and addresses; and
all writs, warrants, and subpoenas issued by order of the Senate shall be under his/her
hand, attested by the Clerk.
PRESIDENT MAY CLEAR THE CHAMBER
Rule 14. In case of disturbance or disorderly conduct in the Chamber or surrounding area,
the President shall have power to order them cleared. They shall not, however, have the
power to remove members from the floor of the Senate, except by a majority vote of
those present.
MANNER OF PUTTING QUESTIONS
Rule 15. The President or Chair shall rise to state and put questions. Questions shall be in
the following form: “As many as are in favor (by roll call) vote ‘Aye’. As many as are
opposed (if by roll call) vote ‘No’. (Or if by voice vote say ‘Aye’ or ‘No’.) If the
President doubts on a voice vote, voting shall be ordered by roll call. The President may
require a recorded roll call on any motion.
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE
Rule 16. The President Pro- Tem shall perform the duties of President during the sickness
or absence of the President.
SENATE CLERK
Rule 17. It shall be the duty of the Clerk to serve also as Chief Administrator of the
Senate and to attend the Senate during its sittings. The Clerk, under the direction of the
President, shall prepare and keep the Senate Journal and seasonably record the
proceedings of the Senate; keep regular files of Senate papers; attest all writs, warrants,
and subpoenas issued by order of the Senate; and keep a docket of proceedings on all
bills, resolutions, and acts; and execute the commands of the Senate from time to time.
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS AND CHAPLAIN
Rule 18. (a) SERGEANT-AT-ARMS. It shall be the duty of the Sergeant-at-Arms to
attend the Senate during its sittings; to execute the commands of the Senate from time to
time, together with such process issued by authority thereof as shall be directed to
him/her by the President. He/she shall preserve order in the galleries and lobby and keep
the entry to the aisle cleared during the session of the Senate.
(b) CHAPLAIN. It shall be the duty of the Chaplain, or a person designated
by the Senate, to attend at the commencement of each day’s sitting of the Senate, to open
the sessions thereof with a prayer, visit any member who may be sick.
PARLIAMENTARIAN
Rule 19. It shall be the duty of the Parliamentarian to serve as the advisor to the President
on matters of parliamentary procedure. It is the duty of the Parliamentarian to define,
clarify, and interpret parliamentary procedure, the rules of the senate, and the constitution
when such rules are in question.
COMMITTEES
By Whom Appointed; Composition of Membership
Rule 20. All standing, conference, interim, and statutory committees shall be appointed
by the President who, when appointing a committee, shall designate a member thereof as
chairman, designate another member as vice-chairman and designate the total number of
members to serve on each committee. The vice chairman shall preside at all committee
meetings in the absence of the chairman. The President of the Senate and the President
Pro-Tem shall be ex-officio members of all committees of the Senate.
TIME OF SETTING
Rule 21. No committee shall meet except during those times so designated by the
President. No committee shall sit during the session of the Senate without leave of the
Senate.
COMMITTEE HEARINGS
Rule 22. All bills afforded a committee hearing shall be considered by giving the sponsor
or handler, the proponents, the opponents, and those testifying for informational purposes
a reasonable opportunity to be heard. Persons addressing the committee must keep their
remarks to the point and avoid repetition and are subject to call to order by the chair for
failure to do so. At the discretion of the committee chair, the length of time allowed one
speaker or questioner may be limited.
OTHER DUTIES
Rule 23. Each committee, in addition to the duties prescribed above, shall perform such
other duties as may be required by the Senate. If it shall become necessary to compel the
presence of any person before a committee or to receive sworn testimony before a
committee, a subpoena may be issued under the hand of the President as provided by law
and an oath or affirmation may be administered by the chair of the committee as provided
by law.
ATTENDANCE
Rule 24. The secretary of each committee shall keep a record of the attendance of each
committee meeting in the minute book of the committee, which shall be available to any
person upon request. Any member of a committee absent, without good cause, from two
consecutive meetings of the committee, as shown by the records of the committee, may
be dropped there from by a statement to that effect entered into the Senate Journal by the
President. The roll shall be recorded by the chair or secretary of a committee at each
meeting.
Rule 25. Attendance at all assemblies of the senate and committee meetings shall be
deemed mandatory. If any member is absent two meetings without just cause, he or she
shall receive a warning notice of their accumulating absence. If any member is absent
three meetings without just cause, he/she and the organization he/she represents shall be
suspended from the senate chambers. All members coming into the senate after five
minutes from the official start of the meeting will be deemed tardy. If any member is
tardy a total of three times then their tardiness will equal one absence.
BILLS
Rule 26. Bills may be introduced only on the report of a committee or by any member of
the Senate, in the regular order of business. No member shall file a bill, other than an
appropriation bill, after May 1, without the leave of the Senate.
a. Numbering of Bills. The Clerk shall number bills in the order of their filing,
reserving numbers for appropriation bills.
Rule 27. Bills must be presented on the senate floor by a senator. No other entity may
bring a bill before the senate unless it is co-sponsored by a senator.
Rule 28. Any senator wishing to bring a Bill, Resolution, or Act before the senate shall
submit his/her piece of legislation to the senate clerk no later than 24 hours before the
senate assembly that he/she wishes to present the legislation at.
Rule 29. Any organization wishing to request monies from the senate must do so in the
form of a bill, resolution, or act.
Rule 30. Any organization wishing to request monies from the senate must meet with the
Executive Treasurer a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the date that such requests will be
brought before the senate
Rule 31. Any organization wishing to request monies from the senate must have
participated in at least one community service activities during that same semester
recorded by the senate clerk. In the event that one community service activities were not
available during that semester before monies are needed, the organization shall be
allowed to request funds with the approval of the President.
NUMBER OF COPIES PRINTED
Rule 32. The Clerk shall print such number of copies of all Senate Bills and Senate Joint
Resolutions as he/she shall deem appropriate.
MOTIONS
Must Be Read or Stated Before Debate
Rule 33. When a motion is made, it shall be stated by the Chair or read aloud by the
Clerk before being debated.
WHEN IN POSSESSION OF THE SENATE
Rule 34. When a motion is stated by the Chair or read by the Clerk it shall be deemed to
be in possession of the Senate. The motion may be withdrawn by the author at any time
before a decision or amendment.
DECORUM AND DEBATE
On Speaking
Rule 35. When any member is about to speak in a debate or deliver a matter to the
Senate, he/she shall rise from his/her seat and respectfully address him/herself to “Mr.
President” or “Madam President”. The member shall refer, as appropriate, to other
members as “Lady”, “Gentleman”, or “Senator”. The member shall confine him/herself
to the questions under debate and avoid personality and derogatory personal comments. If
any member violates the rules of the Senate, the President, or any member, may call
him/her to order. Any member called to order shall immediately sit down, unless
permitted to explain, and the Senate shall, if appealed to, decide the case.
MEMBER TO RISE OR SEEK RECOGNITION
Rule 36. The President shall not recognize any member desiring to speak unless such
member arises or appropriately seeks recognition at or near his/her desk. When two or
more members seek recognition at the same time the President shall name the member
who is to speak first, the other members having the preference next to speak.
MEMBER MAY SPEAK-HOW OFTEN
Rule 37. No member shall speak more than twice on the same question without leave of
the Senate, nor more than once until all other members desiring to speak have spoken.
Except when reporting a bill or resolution from a committee, no member may speak or
inquire for more than five minutes unless by unanimous consent of the Senate.
NO MEMBER SHALL NAME ANOTHER IN DEBATE
Rule 38. No member shall name another member in debate, but shall refer to the member
by district number or organization in which he/she belongs.
NO PROFANITY
Rule 39. No member may use profanity either while speaking on the floor or in
committee.
MEMBERS NOT TO WALK ACROSS SENATE FLOOR-WHEN
Rule 40. While the President is putting any question or addressing the Senate, no one
shall walk out or cross the Senate floor. When a member is speaking or the Journal is
being read, no member shall engage in any private conversation; nor while a member is
speaking shall any one member shall engage in any private conversation; nor while a
member is speaking shall anyone pass between him/her and the President. No member
shall walk between two members who are engaged in debate or inquiries in the Chamber
of the Senate.
VOTING
Rule 41. A member may not authorize any other person to cast his/her vote or record
his/her presence.
DRESS CODE
Rule 42. At all times when the Senate is seated, proper attire shall be business casual:
which includes no jeans, tennis shoes, sandals, club attire, ball caps, or t-shirts. This rule
shall apply to all members and staff on the floor of the Senate.
DEFINITIONS
Rule 43. The space between the seats of the senators and the seats of the President shall
be known as the floor of the Senate and the space beyond those seats either side shall be
known as the gallery.
RULES
Rule 44. Rules may be rescinded or amended by a majority vote of Senate at any given
time.